


Home Where We Are

by suyari



Category: 9-1-1 (TV), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Crossover, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Spoilers for 911/Lonestar Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29152149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suyari/pseuds/suyari
Summary: “Come here often?” Carlos asks, just to make conversation.Buck grins. “We come here at least once a week. Eddie complains about it, but that’s just his dad quota in action.” He leans forward, lowering his voice as he reveals, “We’d eat here every day if it were up to him.”“Dad quota?”“Oh no…” TK moans, fondly.Buck just grins wider and fishes his phone out of his pocket.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & TK Strand, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 55
Kudos: 1430





	Home Where We Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StrikersInDanger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrikersInDanger/gifts), [SublimeDiscordance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SublimeDiscordance/gifts).



> Listen, this crossover has completely messed me up, okay? I came out of it with so many fic ideas, I have no idea how I'm going to be able to function for the foreseeable future.

Carlos will freely admit taking valuable time out of their very first vacation together as a couple to visit a guy who freely hit on his very hot boyfriend during a national emergency is not exactly at the top of his list for ways to enjoy themselves over the next week. But, TK had been adamant and the one time he’d sort of expressed concern at game night about two weeks before their flight out, their friends had been supportive of it. Having never met Buck, all he had to go on were the opinions of the members of the 126 who _had_. Judd had scoffed at his inquiry, saying, “You’re dating TK. You’ll get on with Buck _just fine_.” Mateo had assured him Buck was, “Cool.” And Marjan and Paul hadn’t offered any sort of commentary whatsoever, save for laughing for a good fifteen minutes, falling apart every time they’d just gotten themselves together by risking a glance at him and starting all over again. 

Buck had initially offered to come pick them up at the airport, but had apparently gotten stuck with a four alarm fire which had screwed with the schedules of his firehouse. TK had taken it in stride, as had Carlos, who was quickly getting used to dating someone who’s schedule was more chaotic than his own. It had left them with three blissful days of alone time, which had all come to an abrupt halt when TK received a text message from Buck early in the morning. 

“You can stop making that face,” TK says from beside him. 

“I’m not making a face,” he adamantly denies. 

TK laughs in delight and leans in to kiss him. It’s shorter than he was expecting. Just as they’re leaning into a perfectly searing moment, a horn honks and a truck pulls up to where they’re standing in wait. 

“Hey Buck!” TK cries, flagging an arm and slipping out of Carlos’ own. 

Carlos sighs and braces himself for a day of tolerating the two of them in person - while never formally meeting Buck, he and TK have been in constant, uninterrupted contact since they met three months ago and Carlos has never quite managed to find the time to have a conversation with the guy. At the husky, but familiar sound of TK’s name on the other’s tongue, Carlos lifts his eyes and feels something fall through his gut. 

Okay, so...yes, he’d asked, and yes, he’d been told Buck was attractive. What he had _not_ been expecting was for Buck to be hot as fuck. He and TK were embracing like long time best friends who’d gone a little too long since last contact, hugging tightly and clapping each other. Buck was built. Now, Carlos was no stranger to fit individuals - one could say it was in the job description - but, everyone - TK included - had managed to completely overlook informing him of the fact that Buck was built like a classic statue. Lithe and somehow stacked, every line of muscle easily definable through the fabric of his shirt. Carlos finds his eyes tracking over Buck’s form, following the lines of his limbs up and down, caught in the almost hypnotic perfection that was the other man’s unreasonably perfect physical form. 

TK clears his throat and when Carlos’ eyes meet his, TK’s are alight with amusement. Carlos has a brief moment to wonder if he’s done this on _purpose_ before TK is bracing one hand against Buck’s back and stretching another out toward him. “Buck, this is my boyfriend Carlos,” he says around a wide grin. “Carlos, this is Buck.” 

“Hey,” Buck greets warmly, reaching out and grasping Carlos’ hand between his own. “It’s nice to finally meet you. TK’s told me great things. You’re a cop?” Carlos blinks at him stupidly for a moment, registering the warmth of his hands, the sturdy but unchallenging, openly friendly grip, the wide, absolutely devastatingly charming smile. He’s going to kiss that smirk off his boyfriend’s idiotic face as soon as his brain logs back on fully. 

“Yeah,” he manages as TK laughs softly in the space between them. “Austin PD.” 

“I bet you have some _great_ stories.” 

“Before you whip them out and start measuring,” TK interjects, with a face splitting grin Carlos is absolutely going to make him pay for later. “You promised us brunch.” 

“Oh yeah!” Buck says as if he’s forgotten the reason they’re all standing on the street in front of their hotel. He presses a button on the key fob in his hand and gestures them inside. The truck’s got both a full front _and_ back seat, not the bucket type situation he’s more familiar with, and there’s a distinctly noticeable car seat. It’s of a type Carlos doesn’t have much experience with but had to learn about in a refresher course the department issues every few years to keep them up to date. There’s more than enough room for the three of them, and he’d wonder at the spacious cabin if not for the presence of the car seat. TK has settled into the passenger’s seat, Carlos slipping into the back seat almost on autopilot. The part of him that enjoyed mysteries wanted a better view of TK and Buck. There was something he was certain he was missing and hoped to figure out by getting a wider view of their interactions. 

“Sorry about that,” Buck murmurs to TK, leaning forward. He disappears slightly, TK shifting in the front seat presumably to move out of the way. A pair of converse sneakers with frayed laces too small for Buck’s feet, a tablet of some kind in a protective rubber case and a connected cord come tipping over the backseat and land in the car seat. “Okay! Brunch!” He says it with a sort of sing song tone and Carlos is left to wonder if that is just an aspect of his personality or if it comes from exposure to whomever the car seat belongs to. 

The drive is smooth - Buck is an excellent driver who manages to obey traffic laws while carrying on an easy conversation that has Carlos relaxed in no time at all, pointing out landmarks and making suggestions along the way. Every so often he’ll inject the conversation with an aside from his experiences as a firefighter, or rattle off some impossible fact. He’s halfway through a story about a night on the job during a full moon that has his audience absolutely captured when his phone rings. Buck apologies and answers with a crisp, “Yeah?” 

“Have you picked them up?” comes a male voice Carlos was most definitely not expecting. TK however, seems familiar with the person on the other end, leaning forward to greet them with a chirped, “Diaz!” 

“Strand!” 

“No,” Buck deadpans. “I figured TK could wait another day or four.” 

“You joining us, Eddie?” TK asks with a grin. 

“Eddie’s got an all nighter,” Buck replies. 

“Eddie’s pulling a shift for Buck so he can have a good time showing some out of towner’s around.”

“How kind of him,” TK responds. 

Buck rolls his eyes and enters the exit lane. “Don’t compliment him, his ego’s large enough.” 

TK laughs. 

“I thought you were travelling with your boyfriend,” the mysterious Eddie says, and there’s an edge to it Carlos can identify with. TK must notice it too because he leans back, arm sliding against the seatback. 

“We are,” he says. “Eddie Diaz, Carlos Reyes. Carlos, Eddie.” 

“Hi,” Carlos says. 

There’s relief in Eddie’s voice when he replies. “Hey. Nice to meet you. Glad to hear these two have a chaperone.” 

“Hey!” Buck and TK say in tandem. 

“Carlos, did you know they thought they could just sneak off with a whole ass firetruck and no one would notice?” 

“I’m hanging up on you!” Buck states as Carlos eyes a slightly pink cheeked TK. 

“Where are you taking them?” 

“Bertucci’s.” 

“Can you pick me up breakfast?” 

“Like you’re going to have the mental capacity for heating up Bertucci’s tomorrow.” 

“That’s what I have _you_ for.”

Buck heaves a sigh, but there’s a smile on his face. “If I pick you up Bertucci’s now, it’ll go bad.” 

“Not if you put it in the fridge.” 

“That’d require driving all the way to the _house_.” 

Eddie hums, but offers no real suggestion, which strikes Carlos as someone who knows they’re going to get what they want regardless of the how. 

“Fine, but I’m getting Chris Birthday pancakes.” 

“ _Again?!_ ” 

“And whose fault is it he’s addicted to FUNFETTI?!” 

“If you’re going to hate on box cake, you’re just going to have to bake more. We both know box cake is pushing the limits of my culinary expertise.” 

“Speaking of, when’s the bake sale again?” 

“Friday.”

“This Friday or next Friday?” 

“Mmm…” There’s some tapping. “Two weeks from now Friday.” 

“Friday the _thirteenth_?!” Buck says with glee. 

“Buck…” 

“We’re here! Call you later!!” He abruptly hangs up and gathers his things, having pulled into the parking space a moment or two previous. With more energy than a person ought to have, Buck unlocks the doors and hops out. 

Carlos is the last one out of the car. He eyes his boyfriend as Buck locks the car doors with a press to the fob and jauntily starts for the restaurant. But, TK shows no indication that the previous conversation struck him as odd in any way. Which, Carlos supposes, would be the truth with how often he and Buck communicate. He’s curious about the identity of Eddie, but it can keep for the moment. 

The host greets Buck by name and asks him where “Eddie and Chris” are as they’re shown to their seats. Buck explains they’re at work and school respectively and introduces TK and Carlos. Apparently, Buck has history with the establishment, having come out on a call once, and being in the right place at the right time at least twice. “We learned having firefighters who’re regulars comes in real handy,” the host says with a smile as they take their seats. Their waitress comes to the table and gives Buck a hug before handing Carlos and TK menus. Buck asks after her family and they enter a light conversation while menus are browsed. After she has taken both of their orders, she turns to Buck. “The usual?” she asks. 

Buck grins. “You know me. Easy to please.” 

She nods, scribbling into her pad - which is refreshing honestly. “Eddie’s and Chris’ too?” 

“To go.”

“Of course!” 

“Come here often?” Carlos asks, just to make conversation, and because he’s feeling comfortable enough to tease Buck just a little. In his experience, you can tell a lot about a person by how they respond to gentle prodding. 

Buck grins. “We come here at least once a week. Eddie complains about it, but that’s just his dad quota in action.” He leans forward, lowering his voice as he reveals, “We’d eat here every day if it were up to him.” 

“Dad quota?” 

“Oh no…” TK moans, fondly. 

Buck just grins wider and fishes his phone out of his pocket. From that moment until their food arrives, Buck shows them endless photos of himself, a man who is presumably Eddie - and also unfairly attractive - and a boy with glasses named Christopher who is also Buck’s phone’s wallpaper, lock screen and whom had apparently downloaded half a dozen gaming apps to Buck’s phone, which Buck upkept for him in his free time. 

Halfway through their meal, and several side texts in between conversation - which Buck continued to apologize for and TK continued to wave away - Buck taps his screen and draws his phone to his ear. "What do you mean you're not sure if you turned the coffee maker off?” he says with exasperation. “You can turn it off with your phone! I put the app on it!” Buck’s brow furrows slightly. “You don't **need** Hildy!...Oh my God I can't believe you! Just use the app, Eddie!!” He shifts in his seat in apparent frustration. “There's _nothing **wrong**_ with it!! FINE!! FINE!!! I'll do it myself!!" He pulls the phone away from his ear, aggressively tapping. "It wasn't even **on**!! YES! YES YOU CAN!! Because it's an _**app**_ Edmundo! That's what apps do!!” He releases a puff of a breath. “No. Not unless you **want** it to. Do you want it to? I can set a timer. BECAUSE IT'S AN APP, EDDIE!!” Buck throws an arm up. “ _Christopher_ could do it! No, I did not put it on his phone. But if a ten year old can do it, so can you.” He rakes a hand through his hair. “The coffee maker is OFF. I am hanging up now. My coffee is getting cold."

“Eddie still on a techno purge?” TK asks.

Buck sets his phone down on the table, both hands coming up in a mime of strangulation. “He is driving us both crazy! And the _worst_ bit is, _I_ did this! This is all on me! I don’t know how someone whose life has literally been in the hands of technology for as long as Eddie’s has, can suddenly reject all advancement. It makes absolutely _no sense_!” He leans forward, elbows to the table. “If he snaps and tries to get us to live off the grid-” 

TK laughs. “You’d live off the grid.” 

Buck drops his face into his hands and emits a weak, high pitched noise that may or may not be genuine. 

TK pats him on the back. 

They leave the restaurant - Buck packs the to go orders into a cold compartment in his truck bed - and are halfway to their next destination when a text appears on the screen upon the dash. Buck’s thumb is hitting a button on his wheel in immediate response. 

“Are you _kidding me_?!” he cries as soon as the line connects. 

“Diaz!” shouts someone on the other end. “You’re in trouble!” 

“You on a call, Chim?” 

“Not anymore! Eddie!!!” 

There’s a heavy sigh, followed by a, “Hey, Buck.” 

“Eddie, _please_ tell me that text has been in your drafts and somehow accidentally found its way to me today for no apparent reason. And not because you _clearly_ forgot despite…” He draws one hand from the steering wheel to tick off on his fingers quickly. “Four post it notes and two emails.” 

“In all fairness,” Eddie replies. “Your version of eye level and mine are drastically different.” 

“I left the last one right in the middle of the mirror so when you had to shave this morning it would be right there!! How’d you fail to notice a post it note on your face?!” 

“I had to move the post it note so I could shave.” 

Buck scrubs his hand over his face. “I’m going to buy you a MIRROR.” 

“Buck-” 

“It’s acknowledge the post it notes or deal with the technology!” 

Eddie sighs heavily again in apparent defeat. “I’ll stop moving the post it notes.” 

“Good.” 

“Can you spare the time?” 

The scoffing sound Buck makes is somehow disbelieving and offended all at once. 

“Thanks, Buck!” 

“We have to make two quick stops,” Buck informs them as he hangs up. 

“Sure Buck,” TK reassures. 

“Everything okay?” Carlos asks in concern. He’s only known Buck a few hours, but he’s absolutely prepared to sit a hospital vigil with him if need be. He’s one of those people who affects the life of everyone he meets completely without meaning to, and likely just as unaware of the power and presence of his person. 

“Yeah. Just need to make a quick trip to the store to pick something up and drop it off.” 

“Is it an emergency?” he probes. 

In the front seat, TK stills. 

“Only in that you can't trust Eddie with science projects. I swear, how someone who's done two tours in Afghanistan and won a silver star can't remember baking soda for a fourth grade project will never cease to amaze me. He can literally walk into a room, sweep it once and tell you everything about it an hour later. But leave a post it note or four in his way and suddenly he’s got amnesia!” 

“Maybe you should get those bathtub markers,” TK suggests. “The ones they make for kids.”

“I think they’re crayons,” Carlos corrects. 

TK waves a hand. “Either way. You can just write on the mirror and then he’ll have to wipe it off. Should stick with him.” 

Buck nods. “Okay, so three stops,” he says, nudging his phone at TK. “Can you google it so I know what I’m looking for?” 

“Sure.” 

They pull into the parking lot of a pretty nice school. It seems to have a lot of space designated to it for a city school. Either that or they’ve managed it really well. 

There’s a woman bouncing on the balls of her feet in wait, a boy beside her looking around anxiously. 

Buck grabs the baking soda and hurries out of the car without shutting it off. He jogs over and both the kid and the woman smile in relief. Buck crouches down to give the kid a big hug. He hands the baking soda to the woman, leans his brow to the boy’s, then with a scrub of his hair he steps back and waves them in. He doesn’t move from his position, patiently waiting and waving every so often. It’s several minutes before he turns and takes long, quick strides back to the car. He climbs back into the driver’s seat, more relaxed than when they arrived, with a grin on his face. 

“Crisis averted?” Carlos asks. 

“Yeah,” Buck replies, clipping his seat belt back into place. “Thanks guys.” 

“No problem,” TK replies. “We gonna come pick him up at the end of the day?” 

Buck starts and turns to look at TK. “You want to meet Chris?” 

“Do I want to formally meet the Tekken master who has kicked my entire squad’s ass without breaking a sweat? Yes, yes I do.”

Buck turns in his seat to meet Carlos’ eyes. 

“I love kids,” he says in response. 

Buck’s grin widens impossibly. “Sure. Sure you can meet Chris.” He picks up his phone again and taps the screen a few times, presumably pausing for responses, before pulling it to his ear. “Hola abuela,” he greets, surprising Carlos more than he ought, all things considered. The next few minutes are a fairly passable conversation of mixed Spanish with English where Buck is clearly learning new words. Carlos helps a few times and ends up having a twenty minute conversation of his own with Eddie’s abuela. She wants to meet them and Carlos knows better than to make excuses to an abuela - any abuela. Buck drives them to her house without being told to. 

Eddie’s abuela clearly adores Buck. She greets him with hugs and kisses and hands to his face. Which she then turns on himself and TK. He wasn’t expecting to feel so at home on his vacation and the two hours they spend in her home are refreshing in ways he hadn’t realized he’d been needing. He makes a mental note to take more trips to visit his own abuelas. TK’s been eager to meet his family. It’s a good enough place to start. 

They still have most of the day before they have to pick Christopher up from school and Buck fulfills his role as tour guide well. Carlos has more fun than he’d been expecting to have. They pick Christopher up and Carlos gets some company in the backseat. Buck and Christopher show them around a few more places - they drive right by the pier with nothing more than an acknowledgement that yes, this is THE pier - before they all head home. 

TK and Christopher are duking it out in the living room and he’s keeping Buck company in the kitchen, watching the other man move about the space with comfortable confidence. The take out breakfast having long since safely transferred. "Because he had chicken three days in a row!” Buck says into the phone balanced precariously between his shoulder and his ear. 

Carlos looks around the kitchen. From the piles of art pressed to the refrigerator with a wild array of magnets to the polaroids lining the edges of the glass cabinets. There are books in odd corners; toys tucked into nooks and crannies. “I'm cooking dinner and you have an overnight, so I'm making steak.” There’s a line of assorted plants against the window in an odd arrangement of paper cartons and terra cotta planters. He’s seen at least a dozen kinds of mugs from earlier when Buck made Christopher a ‘deluxe’ chocolate milk to wash down the ice cream they’d all had and wouldn’t be telling “Dad” about despite the fact that Eddie was likely to find out given they’d bought him a sundae - noses wrinkled and cackling the entire way through their order in a way that made Carlos feel slightly worried for the other man’s digestion.

“Don't get all high and mighty on me El Paso! Steak is steak!!” He crosses the kitchen and opens the fridge, reaching in blindly, knowing what he wants and sure in its placement. “Then Judd can come make you some. Honestly, if you’re going to get like this every time…” But he’s smiling, eyes adoring, even though they’re not focusing on anything but his task. 

Carlos watches him and is surprised to find he’s taking a sense of peace and no small amount of pleasure in watching the happy life that’s been unfolding in front of him all day long. He’d had so many dreams that had felt instantly dashed when he’d first realized he was gay. It had taken him a long time to cope with his family and society’s expectations. To come to terms with what he truly wanted and heal through the crucible of realization that nothing had changed but the gender of his partner. This is what he’s always wanted. What Buck and Eddie have. A home that bears the marks of a family. All the small, intricate and wonderfully elaborate details of a cohesive unit made of individuals. A family to fill it. Children he will raise with the love of his life. An attempt at creating better people with the lessons of their pasts as a guide. A way to better the world, one person at a time. And love. So much love. That feeling of being so _sure_ of your place in the world that had eluded him all his life. 

“I give up,” TK says, dropping into the chair beside him. “Buck, your kid’s a beast.” 

Buck laughs and reaches out to high-five Christopher who has followed TK into the kitchen. 

Carlos looks at TK and feels his chest ache. 

“Buck?” Christopher says, leaning into him full bodied. Buck reaches an arm around him and hugs him close. “Can we have mac and cheese with the steak?” 

“Of course we can,” Buck replies. “Your dad’s not here to stop us!” 

Eddie makes an affronted noise Carlos can hear from where he’s sitting. 

Buck and Chris both laugh and Buck transfers the phone to his kid. “Hi Dad!” Christopher chirps cheerfully, shuffling toward the table. 

TK turns and meets Carlos’ eyes, his brows furrowing before raising in question. 

It’s not that he hasn’t imagined any of this with TK before. It could be argued he perhaps jumped too fully into the fantasy too early into their relationship, chased it a little too urgently. TK hadn’t been ready for the intensity of something so permanent, or anything permanent, if he were being honest. There’d been so much hurt caused by the disparity, nearly stealing the most meaningful relationship of his entire life. 

Carlos leans forward and kisses TK. TK smiles into the kiss, leaning into him and wrapping an arm about him. There’s a child in the room, so they keep it PG, even if it feels like there’s a livewire in his gut. He wants this. All of it. He wants it with TK. And more importantly, for the first time in his life, he knows he can wait for it. Wait for this. One day TK will be ready to talk about it. One day he’ll be ready to risk his heart again, wholly and completely. Carlos can wait. He’ll wait however long it takes. TK’s worth every moment. 

Christopher’s asleep in the backseat, the car still running to keep him comfortable, so their good-byes are short. Buck and TK hug tightly and agree to settle a time for them to head over to the house for dinner with Eddie when he’s home and has had time to sleep off his shift and be company ready. Then Buck is turning to him and Carlos hugs him with everything in himself. A part of him is grateful to Buck in ways he’s not yet entirely sure of the reasons behind. It’s something he’ll think about later when he can’t sleep for the rare opportunity of holding TK in his arms, completely relaxed and at peace. If Buck is surprised by the force of his embrace, he doesn’t show it, squeezing back with equal fervor. 

He draws back with a smile and waving, jogs back over to the car. He climbs in, checks on Christopher, then buckles his seatbelt. With a cheerful wave that somehow exudes love, he backs the car out and drives away. 

TK and Carlos stand there watching them go in silence for a few quiet moments. Then TK shifts, wrapping his arms about him and resting his chin to Carlos’ shoulder. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” 

Carlos smiles and wraps an arm about TK in return. 

“...Did you have fun today?” 

“I did, yeah.” 

“And you’re okay with us going over to dinner?” 

Carlos’ smile widens, his hand smoothing against TK’s lower back soothingly. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

TK shrugs. “You dragged your feet this morning.” 

“I did. But, you were right. I just had to meet Buck.” 

“Nothing to worry about?” 

Carlos laughs. “Nothing to worry about,” he agrees with amusement. 

“What?” TK prods. 

“Nothing.” 

“It’s not nothing.” 

“It’s just…” 

“Yeah?” 

Carlos can’t contain it any longer, the hilarity of the entire situation bursting free of him. “I can’t believe you thought a married man was hitting on you!”


End file.
